Writer: Geoffrey Thorne
Art: Marco Santucci, Dexter Soy, Alex Sinclair, Rob Leigh, and Bernard Chang
Publisher: DC Comics
Price:$4.99
Release Date: April 7, 2021
Reviewed by: Glimmer
Green Lantern is back with a new series.
Green Lantern #1 written by Geoffrey Thorne with art by Marco Santucci & Dexter Soy hit newsstands on April 7th. Following Grant Morrison’s run on the Green Lantern title, Thorne, Santucci & Soy are set to take this new series in a new direction – a “Green Lantern Corps” direction. That said, after reading this inaugural installment, a more fitting title for Green Lantern #1 might be “Green Lantern Corps #1.”
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STORY
So what’s the general premise of this issue? The United Planets (newly formed) have an intergalactic summit to decide if they want the Guardians and the Green Lantern Corps to be part of the Federation. Well, that’s the main idea of the issue but there’s a lot of other “stuff” going on as well. Unfortunately, Thorne doesn’t take the time to properly explain or resolve most of it.
GLIMMER’S GREEN LANTERN TAKE
My biggest problem with the issue is that it feels like a Green Lantern “roll call.” Do you like Hal Jordan? He’s in it. Are you a John Stewart fan? He’s here. How about the new “Teen Lantern?” Yup, she’s here too. Most of the issue is centered around cameo appearances by most of the Green Lantern Corps members. Now, I for one am a big fan of most of these characters, but do we need a cameo or “shout out” to every Green Lantern Corps member in one issue? It just felt too much.
Overall, Green Lantern #1 is a decent issue, but it’s also a big “missed opportunity.” This issue should be a great jumping-on point for new readers – but it’s not. It’s a great issue for past readers to jump back on. However, for those who have never read a Green Lantern comic, this is a confusing issue with too many unknown characters and subplots. A new reader will have to do some research and find out the backstory to all these Green Lanterns to fully understand and appreciate what is going on in the issue.
ART
Now, not only was this issue a fresh start mixed with some missed opportunities, but the artwork by Santucci & Soy was rock solid. There was so much definition and detail within the illustrations, as well as the depth in which the characters were drawn. Plus, there were really only a few panels that seem rushed. Still, I thought the artwork, as a whole, was a strong highlight of this book and should be as this series unfolds.
FINAL THOUGHTS
A number one issue is the best time to bring in new readers, and this issue does not help in that avenue at all. In my opinion, it would have been much better to start with a central focus on just Hal Jordan and John Stewart and slowly but surely introduce readers to the other members of the Corps in future issues. The Green Lantern Corps and mythos can be extremely overwhelming. So, why jam every member and multiple storylines down the reader’s throats in the first issue? Again – a missed opportunity. So, if you’re a Green Lantern fan or someone who read GL in the past – give this issue a read. If you’ve never read a Green Lantern comic and know nothing about the GL Corps – good luck with Green Lantern #1!